For me injury rehabilitation and sports performance enhancement are one and the same just at opposite ends of the spectrum. With both issues you are looking to increase function in a particular joint or muscle group, but in injury rehab, the end result is to get out of pain, and in sports performance it is to go faster or lift heavier. In this article, along with the video, I am going to look at the lunge again, start to increase the intensity again and then come back to the original lunge with the same weight and see if the clients technique has improved any.

In the video in Part 1 we regressed the lunge by lowering the weight, reducing the height, changing the angles of the feet, taking further pressure off using a suspension kit and on the whole just getting the client much more comfortable with the lunge in general. Again the list of modifications I have provided is not exhaustive – it just gives you an idea of where to go. The beauty of this process is that every trainer will do it slightly differently and no one is wrong – it’s just that better trainers hit the right exercises at the right time.

How to progress an exercise

Now, the best way to progress an exercise is to start with something that is easily achievable – this builds confidence and begins to get the muscles used to different movements…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn_t89U1ZxA

(i) In the video above I have begun with some 3D lunges with extra emphasis on the frontal and transverse planes.

(ii) Next I start to bring some extra weight back in with the dumbbells.

(iii) I also extend the lunge far beyond the original (I really work the extension of the back hip and force the front hip to deal with a greater load) – this movement pattern allows the hip flexors to become much more influential in the movement and allows the back leg to generate power and thus spread the load of the exercise over both legs rather than a front leg dominant exercise.

(iv) Next I start to add arm drivers to the lunge, for me this is important as it elicits a reaction within “the core” to help stabilise the body, as the core has to deal with forces driving in many different directions to keep the client standing up. Arm drivers also exaggerate the effect on the hip – driving the arms forward and down exaggerates hip flexion, overhead emphasizes hip extension, to the side exaggerates rotation and so on. Arm drivers are a great way of changing what is happening in the hip whilst keeping the exercise as close to the original as possible. For truly effective ‘functional training’ the exercise should look as similar as possible to the original exercise or movement in order to allow the brain believe it is the same and so enforce the movement pattern whilst still creating very different feelings within the joints. It may sound a bit far-fetched but as you can see from the results it’s very effective.

(v) Finally I have brought in some ‘Jops’ (a jump from both feet to one foot, and then a hop from one foot back to two) with different arm drivers. This is where the intensity starts to really increase. This particular type of training is very effective for field or court sport athletes as it teaches the feet, hips and spine to load with impact and speed. In another earlier article on functional football I talked about training muscles as pumps and springs and this comes into play here:

‘Pumps’: when we go through a greater range of motion we work the muscle as a pump. Think of the quads in this case – in the original lunge they extend as the knee bends and then pump the body back to the original position.

‘Springs’: In contrast, with a Jop, the quads hit the ground, react very quickly and ‘spring’ the body back. This type of movement is much more applicable to pitch and court sports.

As can be seen here, there is a little cross over between pumps and springs, and both can be used to train the other. (I’ll go into this in further depth in my next article!)

And so to the finished product….

I don’t feel I need to say too much – the before and after in the video says it all! The first lunge was performed after a typical five minute warm up. I then videoed pretty much my entire workout of regression and progression and the whole thing took about 35 mins and massive improvements can clearly be seen in even that short time.

Hopefully you can see that the videos in these two articles show that changing movement patterns and improving performance can and should be monitored on a minute by minute basis rather than on a month by month basis! As a trainer if your not doing  this then I think you should reconsider your training methods and if you have a trainer and they aren’t doing this then maybe you should reconsider your trainer.

Bone broth is rich in gelatin, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium,silicon, potassium sulfate, flouride, collagen, glucosamine, chondroiton, and other trace minerals.

Bone broth is also claimed to have many benefits, particularly:

- Digestive healing (especially for those with any gastrointesitnal disorders such as Chrohn’s, IBS, those with hypo- and hyper-stomach acid etc.)

- Reducing cellulite, wrinkles and stretchmarks.

Ingredients

Fresh bones (e.g. beef bones, lamb bones, chicken bones, chicken feet)

1 large carrot (chopped onto large chunks)

2 sticks of celery (chopped onto large chunks)

4 cloves of garlic (peeld and whole)

Method

1. Place all the ingredients in a slow cooker and fill the cooker with water (about 1inch from the top).

2. Cook on a ‘low’ heat for 12-72 hours (the longer the better).

3. Strain the broth to remove the peices of bone and vegetable and place in the refrigerator.

4. When cooled, remove the layer of fat that will have hardened on top of the broth and keep the broth underneath.

5. Add the broth to any soups or other appropriate dishes instead of store-bought stock, or heat a small cup and drink on it’s own!

[Note: Use the broth within 3-4 days or freeze and use when desired]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRXWFk5T3So

The first part of this article is focused on regression so I’m going to try and cover the bigger aspects of regression so not only will we know when and how to regress but more importantly, why!

So when should we regress an exercise or an exercise program?

1. If the client is overly fatigued or stressed: In my opinion, how a client is feeling on the day of training should determine now hard we can push them. For example, if the client is overly stressed from work then pushing them through a tough session may not be the best way forward. A hard training session will inflict further stress on the body and could create a serious hormone imbalance, and if that client is wanting to lose weight or even bulk up, then this could be very detrimental to their success.

2. If the client has trouble performing an exercise: Another more common example is if the client is struggling with a particular movement or exercise. Squats are a prime example – many clients do not have the range of movement to perform a squat well, so we can break the squat down, look at all the movements necessary to perform the exercise and focus on the week links, then build the program back up to where the client can squat with much greater ease. Asking your client to just push through it will result in an unusual loading pattern which, more than likely, will lead to an injury at some point.

3. If a client has reached a plateau: Another instance that you may wish to regress a clients program is when they reach a plateau in their training. This may seem strange but if you are looking to increase a clients bench press and you reach a point where they cannot lift any heavier then try taking down the weights and move through all the planes of motion (sagittal, frontal and transverse). Drive dumbbells in different directions and use other pieces of kit like cables, ViPR’s or a sled. Basically, work the same muscle group in as many ways as you can think of – it may be the key to breaking through the plateau and getting some phenomenal results.

HOW should we regress an exercise or an exercise program?

Now I’m going to go into a little more depth on how to regress a single exercise with the view of improving performance. There are many, many ways to regress an exercise and the most obvious one is to decrease the load of an exercise. But within that we can also decrease the length of load, decrease impact of load, decrease emphasis within a single plane in loading, or you can change the exercise completely and attack the joint from a completely different point of view.

In the video below I have used the lunge as a common example – often clients will struggle with technique or experiences pain in the knee when lunging. Part 1 of this video shows a few examples of how to regress the lunge, but also demonstrates a workout in which improving performance of the lunge is central to the program.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ChuaLzELUI

Ok, this is only the first part of the workout, in which no real improvement can be seen (YET), but what I have done is:

(i) looked at many different aspects of the lunge; and

(ii) regressed them down so that they can be done with proper technique and good movement patterns.

As you can see from the first few demos of the lunge, the technique is not good and the client (in this case, me) is struggling with the weight of the dumbbells so pressing on with this is more than likely going to end up with injury.

In Part 2 of this article I will move on to progression of an exercise and really work on re-enforcing the good new movement patterns and getting the client lunging well with the same weight without needing to lower the weights and sacrifice the training program.

I am with the ‘others’…Not just because it’s my job, but because I believe that everyone deserves the best for their body….and that’s something, that I believe you won’t get by sitting at home munching on whatever takes your fancy from whatever leaflet just dropped through the letter box, or by joining a gym and paying a monthly membership fee but never actually showing up (or when you do show up, hanging around on the elliptical for a bit, picking up a few dumbbells and then heading to the sauna for half an hour)!

Assuming for a moment that you use a gym (I assume you do, otherwise you probably wouldn’t be reading this!!) I’d argue that you’re probably not getting the most out of your time there – it’s possible that you just go through the motions, get a bit of a sweat on, and leave feeling absolutely done in (physically and mentally)!

I would also hazard a guess that the workout you did in the gym was a possibly  ’one size fits all’ workout from men’s health, runners weekly, women’s fitness or whatever magazine had the healthiest looking person on the front of it (this person probably has a trainer and the chance that they even did this workout ONCE, let alone on a regular basis is quite slim!!).Now, don’t get me wrong, the workouts advocated in magazines or online are ok – they make you work, you will sweat, and they target all the right areas, but they are very generic, and, YOU are not! For a workout to be truly effective it needs to be specific to YOU, not specific to thousands of other runners, body builders etc.

This is where personal training comes in, a good personal trainer will be able to assess your body and how you move, what works, what doesn’t, where you might be in pain, what might cause pain in future, and, most importantly, they will be able to assess how to get optimal performance out of you and your sessions!

None of us like being in pain but many of us experience a small amount of pain everyday pain – It’s a stiff shoulder, a sore back, maybe hamstring cramp, or a ‘niggle’ in the knee…these things can be so simple to get rid of if you have the right knowledge, so why do we put up with them? You wouldn’t drive your car if it was broken – you’d take it to a mechanic and get it fixed – so would you not do the same for your body? Sure, maybe you go to the doctors and get a check-up, you go to the dentist to ensure your mouth is clean, and you may even ‘treat’ yourself to a massage every now and again. But why do so few of us invest the same time and money in our fitness and physical health?

Now, admittedly I may be biased (I wouldn’t have become a personal trainer if I didn’t believe it was a worthwhile and necessary service) but it really is puzzling for me –that so many people see personal training as a luxury. Personally I have helped out so many people by getting them out of pain, improving their performance in the sports they love (whether they play professionally or just for fun), and just generally helping them feel a lot better in themselves….and all through designing a training programme specific to them as individuals!

Exercise is a great thing, and your body loves it! You get a massive rush of a hormone into your brain when exercising called endorphin (I like to think of it as the ‘happy hormone’), and it leaves you feeling on a high! After a good session, you should feel alive, revitalised and ready to take on the world!! You probably shouldn’t feel like you want to die (whether from boredom or exhaustion)! Again, this is what a personal trainer can give you – they can design a training programme that will challenge you and help you reach your goals, but that doesn’t leave you drained and exhausted, or that bores you so much you need to watch the in-gym TV while you train.

I could go on and on about the benefits of personal training, but I’d rather you experience it for yourselves (and then tell me about what you felt!) – I’d recommend that anyone not currently working with a personal trainer should go and try at least one session.  It is important to get a good trainer, however, (a bad trainer is potentially dangerous and can give the whole industry a bad reputation) so do your research before signing up – ask for testimonials, call a few and speak to them on the phone; talk to some of their clients and ask them questions!  Plus, any personal trainer worth their salt should be able to offer you a free trial session or consultation and this should help give you an idea of what you can expect from them and their training.

I believe that everyone deserves the best quality training, whatever their budget, and if you’re really serious about improving your health, fitness, performance or physique, investing in a personal trainer is certainly not a luxury – it’s a necessity!

Charlie

Ingredients

1tsp coconut oil

3tbsp coconut flour

1 tbsp ground flax seed

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 egg

pinch of bicarbinate of soda

Optional: for added crunch try adding 1-2tsp of cacao nibs.

Method

1. Put the coconut oil in a heat proof mug (or a heat proof container about the size of a tea cup/mug)  and microwave for 30-45s until it melts.

2. Add all the other ingredients to the mug and mix thoroughly with a teaspoon.

3. Microwave for 90s.

That’s it! Now you have a tasty, nutritious snack to take anywhere.

What are some simple tools that we can use as fitness professions to keep our clients motivated and help them avoid discouragement along their journey?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3ael0cgteU

A couple of weeks ago I set a challenge for people to try drinking a green smoothie every day to see what a difference it made to their energy levels and overall wellbeing.

Now for many people the idea of drinking blended green vegetables sounds just plain ‘disgusting’. However, I can assure you that green smoothies are much, much tastier than they sound – in fact, with the right ingredients they’re really yummy!

Today I’ve made a video showing how to make a simple but delicious ‘green smoothie for beginners’. This recipe is one of my favourites and (like all green smoothie recipes) can easily be adapted to suit your own taste preference – if you’re feeling really nervous about trying this out, just go easy on the spinach and celery and add a little more apple juice (instead of a mix of apple juice and water) and maybe even add some honey for a little extra sweetness. Later on, when you realise that green smoothies DON’T taste like a glass full of liquidized brussell sprouts  you can start adding a little more green and a little less juice!

So go on, why not take a risk and try something new?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7vTSCGtLoA

Ingredients

1 ‘Ice cube’ of Ginger (or you can use 1.5 inch cube of fresh root ginger)

1-2 sticks of Celery

A large handful of Spinach

150-200ml Apple Juice

water (to achieve desired consisitency)

Optional Ingredients:

Kale (if you want it REALLY green!)

Honey (if you’re just getting started with green smoothies and need a little more sweetness)

Method

1. Add the ingredients to a suitable container and bend with a hand blender (or blend in a food processor).

2. Blend until completely smooth.

3. Add more or less water to achieve the desired consistency.

4. Drink and enjoy!!

Stay tuned for more Recipes of the Week, or check out my facebook page and website for more green smoothie recipe ideas!

Aimie x

In the first video below we look at the two turns back to back and whilst they do look pretty similar there are a few subtle differences:

(i) In The first turn, the player rotates earlier and has less of a push off the left leg. The player is more dependent on the momentum generated from traveling backwards and so performs more of a pivot on the left leg than a push off.

(ii) If you look closely the player has already completed most of the turn before the left foot even hits the ground.

(iii) The second has a more powerful push off the left leg and seems to drive through with more force. In this turn the player is more looking to generate the power from pushing off the left leg, there is a much greater need for effective loading on the upper thigh and core muscles.

Now within the game of football, both turns occur frequently but for defenders, the first turn tends to occur more often, and for forwards the second. Imagine a winger bearing down on the defender, twisting and turning inside and out before bursting down the line – the defender must match this and react very quickly to what is happening. The second turn relates more to a centre forward who needs more power in the turn to drive through the challenge of a strong defender and continue running.

Video 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzHzXdYSDhg

In second video, below, I have designed a short workout targeting hip function to improve the turn of a defender. In it I regress the exercise into its most fundamental movements, emphasizing each of the different planes one at a time: transverse, sagittal and frontal (see my blog post on the importance of 3D training).

Video 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKHk8UepLIU

In this workout I use light dumbbells to further enhance the effect of driving the arms to create motion within the hips. Notice a distinct lack of depth in the exercises, similar to that of the turn, keeping the exercise as close to the function as possible.This trains the body to load the muscles rapidly and without needing them to lengthen too much and thus save time when turning on the field. This workout really enhances the body’s ability to load the hip in the same form as the turn. By turning up the intensity in each plane I can really look for weaknesses within the turn and then add extra emphasis where needed.

In the third video, below, I have designed a short workout for a forward.

Video 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGR_B9IIMxk

Notice how the direction of the arms have changed to create a different motion in the hips. This workout again tweaks all 3 planes of motion within the hips and the arm drivers are again used to exaggerate these movements. Also notice there is a little more depth in the second workout. This is due to the nature of the turn – the forward needs to drop into the hip and load the muscles around his hip with a bit more depth and work the muscles a little more like ‘pumps’ to generate the power needed to push off in the opposite direction, whereas the defender should be training these muscles more like ‘springs’ to be able to just bounce off the ground and react faster to the twists and turns of the winger.

This would appear to break away from the stereotype that defenders need to train to be powerful and strong, when really they need to work more on agility and quickness and forwards need to work more on the power type exercises.

This is just one short workout of how to train one joint to function more efficiently on the pitch (depending on the position you play). It is a good example of how different positions on the pitch require different skills and different training programs to train these skills. To get the most out of the players, teams must recognise this and train their players accordingly. It may not seem like much but sometimes the margins for error in the game are so small that that little bit extra may make the difference between winning and losing.